"My hopes, expectations and prayers were directed toward a successful return to flight. So far, so good," said Chairman Boehlert.

"This morning, as I was talking with some of the dedicated men and women at NASA, I reminded them that last Friday, by a 383-15 bipartisan vote, they were given a resounding vote of confidence," Chairman Boehlert added referring to the House's overwhelming passage of H.R. 3070, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005. "I congratulate them on a successful return to flight."

Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) said, "It was inspirational to watch the shuttle launch. Today's return to flight is a testament to the hard work and courage of Discovery's crew and the entire NASA workforce. After the Columbia Tragedy, NASA improved its safety protocols and changed its assumptions about how to prepare for human space flight. The NASA culture has been reinvigorated and has regained some of the focus that it had lost. America can be proud that we continue to lead the world in space exploration."